Former Congolese warlord Bemba seeking millions in damages from ICC

Amsterdam – The former vice president of Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, is seeking 68 million euros ($76 million) in damages from the International Criminal Court, his lawyers said on Monday.

Bemba was acquitted on appeal last year. He has requested the amount from the court in The Hague as compensation for his 10 years in detention, his legal fees as well as actual losses, they said.

Bemba was originally arrested in Belgium in 2008 and charged with murder, rape and pillaging in the Central African Republic during his role as the supreme commander of rebel forces in a 2002-03 coup.

He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2016 after being convicted of all charges because the court held that he knew his troops were committing or about to commit crimes and he did not deter or punish them.

Two years later, the court overturned his convictions, citing grave procedural errors.